Event basics
● Focus: planetary formation and structure in our Solar System and in exoplanet
systems.
● Skills tested: data interpretation (graphs, spectra, tables), understanding of
missions, comparative planetology, and basic calculations using given formulas.
Solar system formation
● The solar system formed ~4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing molecular cloud
core (solar nebula) composed mostly of hydrogen and helium plus dust.
● Conservation of angular momentum caused the nebula to flatten into a rotating
disk with a central protostar that became the Sun.
● Temperatures were higher close to the Sun, so only metals and rocks condensed
in the inner disk, while ices could condense farther out beyond the snow line.
From dust to planets
● Dust grains stuck together via electrostatic forces, forming centimeter–meter
sized pebbles, then kilometer-sized planetesimals.
● Gravitational accretion of planetesimals formed planetary embryos and then
full-sized planets; collisions could be gentle (growth) or giant impacts (e.g.,
hypothesized Moon-forming impact).
● Gas giants likely formed cores (≈10 Earth masses) that accreted thick
hydrogen–helium envelopes before the gas disk dispersed.
Basic structure of the solar system
● Inner system: four terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) with rocky
compositions and relatively thin atmospheres.
● Outer system: four giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) with thick
atmospheres and many moons and ring systems.
● Small body regions: asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter), Kuiper Belt
(beyond Neptune), and distant Oort Cloud.
Key planetary properties & trends
Use this as a quick comparison guide; exact numbers can go on a separate cheat table.
Notable
Body type Typical composition Density trend Atmosphere examples
Terrestrial Higher (≈3–5 Thin to
Rock + metal Earth, Mars
planet g/cm³) moderate
H/He + small Lower bulk Jupiter,
Gas giant Very thick
rock/ice core density Saturn
H/He + ices (H₂O, Thick, Uranus,
Ice giant Intermediate
NH₃, CH₄) methane-rich Neptune
Dwarf Very
Rock + ice mix Variable Ceres, Pluto
planet thin/none
Important moons & small bodies
These are frequently used as case studies in Solar System tests.
● Moon: Large relative to Earth, evidence of giant impact origin, heavily cratered
maria and highlands.
● Io: Extremely volcanic due to tidal heating from Jupiter and orbital resonances.
● Europa: Ice shell with strong evidence for a subsurface ocean, possible
habitability.
● Ganymede: Largest moon, has a magnetic field, likely salty subsurface ocean.
● Callisto: Heavily cratered; evidence suggests a deep subsurface ocean.
● Enceladus: Geysers at south pole, subsurface ocean, good habitability candidate.
● Titan: Thick nitrogen atmosphere, surface lakes/rivers of liquid hydrocarbons,
complex organics.
● Ceres: Dwarf planet in asteroid belt, water-rich, bright salt deposits.
Planetary interiors & differentiation
● Differentiation: process by which denser materials sink and lighter materials rise
inside a body, forming core, mantle, and crust.
● Terrestrial interiors: metallic core (usually iron), rocky mantle, crust; presence of
a liquid outer core can create a magnetic field.
● Giant planets: likely small rocky/icy cores, thick layers of metallic hydrogen (for
Jupiter/Saturn) or water–ammonia–methane “ices” (for Uranus/Neptune),
topped by gaseous atmospheres.
Planetary surfaces & geologic processes
● Main surface processes: impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, erosion (by wind,
water, ice), and sedimentation.
● Many bodies have been resurfaced by volcanism or tectonics, which erases older
craters and indicates geologic activity.
● Presence of features like river valleys, deltas, dunes, or layered sediments
suggests past or present fluid activity (water, lava, or liquids like methane on
Titan).
Atmospheres and climate
● Atmospheres are shaped by initial inventory, volcanic outgassing, impacts,
escape processes, and interactions with solar radiation and magnetic fields.
● Greenhouse effect: atmospheric gases like CO₂, H₂O, and CH₄ trap infrared
radiation, warming the surface (strong on Venus, moderate on Earth, weak but
important on Mars).
● Atmospheric loss mechanisms include thermal escape, solar wind stripping (if no
strong magnetic field), and impact erosion.
Habitability & water in the solar system
● Habitable zone: region around a star where a rocky planet could have liquid
water on its surface; for the Sun this spans roughly from just inside Venus to
beyond Earth’s orbit (depends on model).
● Subsurface habitability: icy moons like Europa, Enceladus, Ganymede, and
Callisto may host liquid water oceans protected from space by ice shells.
● Other possible habitats include ancient lakes and groundwater on Mars, and
atmospheric layers of Venus where temperatures and pressures are more
Earth-like.
Exoplanets & exoplanet systems
● Exoplanets: planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, detected by methods like
transit, radial velocity, direct imaging, and microlensing.
● Transit method: planet passes in front of its star, causing a small dip in
brightness; depth gives relative size, combined with star data can yield planet
radius.
● If mass is also known (e.g., from radial velocity), density can be determined,
helping distinguish rocky, icy, or gaseous composition.
Comparing solar system and exoplanet systems
Use this table for conceptual comparisons and likely question topics.
Feature Our solar system Typical exoplanet findings
Orbital Small, rocky inner planets; Many systems show close-in large
layout outer gas/ice giants planets (“hot Jupiters,” super-Earths)
Orbital Many exoplanets have higher
Mostly low eccentricity
shapes eccentricities
Habitable Earth clearly in HZ, Mars Systems like TOI-700 with multiple
zone planets near outer edge habitable-zone planets (e.g., d and e)
Detection We know all planets in our We preferentially detect large, close-in
bias system exoplanets
Important missions to know
Be ready to match missions to targets and discoveries.
● Voyager: Flybys of outer planets, now in interstellar space.
● Galileo: Orbited Jupiter, studied Galilean moons.
● Cassini–Huygens: Orbited Saturn, landed probe on Titan, discovered Enceladus
plumes.
● Dawn: Visited Vesta and Ceres.
● New Horizons: Flyby of Pluto and Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth.
● Sample-return missions like OSIRIS-REx (asteroid Bennu) help constrain
composition of small bodies.
●
Common question types & what to include on your
sheet
● Identification: features on images (e.g., volcanoes vs impact craters, tectonic rifts,
dunes), specific moons or dwarf planets, and mission names.
● Data interpretation: density vs radius graphs, mass–radius diagrams, light curves
from transits, temperature vs distance plots.
● Short explanation questions: “Why is Io so volcanic?” “Why does Mars have many
more visible craters than Earth?” “How could you infer if an exoplanet is likely
rocky?”
For your actual cheat sheet, you can now:
● Turn each heading here into a small box with bolded key terms and 1–3 bullet
facts.
● Add a compact table of planetary data (distance from Sun, radius, density, major
moons) from a standard solar system data sheet.
● Sprinkle in a few labeled diagrams: solar system layout, interior cross-sections,
transit light curve.
If you tell me what division and tournament level you’re competing at
(invitational/regionals/state), I can shrink this down further into a 2-sided,
printer-ready layout focused on your most likely topics.
You absolutely should use more than just the SciOly wiki; think of the wiki as your
“outline,” and use NASA + official SO resources to actually study.
First priority: official SO + your rules
● Read your exact event rules (Junior or Div B Solar System) and highlight every
topic and list of required objects.
● Use the national Solar System event page for links, guides, and practice tests
(including a “Tips for Success” webinar).
Core content sources (good for middle/junior
level)
● NASA Space Place Solar System pages: short, kid‑friendly explainers on planets,
moons, asteroids, comets, etc.
● NASA JPL Education activities (Solar System Scroll, Bead Activity) to understand
scale and inner vs outer planets.
● The older “Solar System Revised Guide” and UTIG Solar System guide both list
topics, sample questions, and recommended websites; they’re still very useful for
content and images.
Practice questions & tests
● UT Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) Solar System tournament resources: past
tests and slide decks on surface features, Mars, Europa, etc.
● Official SO store/test packets (if your team has access): 2023–2024 national tests
for Solar System.
● Online practice tests/cheat sheets (like the 2021 Solar System cheat sheet) can
give you example facts and how others organize notes—just don’t copy blindly.
How to actually study (quick plan)
● Use the SciOly Solar System wiki as your topic checklist, then for each section
(e.g., Europa, exoplanets, missions) read the matching NASA/UTIG pages.
● After reading, immediately make 3–5 bullet notes and 1 small labeled picture for
that topic on your own sheet.
Here are the main non-wiki resources you can use, with what each is good for.
Official event pages and guides
● National Science Olympiad Solar System event page: overview, event description,
and links to guides and practice material.
● Solar System Revised Guide PDFs (UTIG + SOINC): annotated sample tests,
topic breakdown, and a list of recommended websites for each topic (missions,
habitability, small bodies, etc.).
NASA learning sites (concepts & visuals)
● NASA Space Place Solar System: short, kid-level articles on each planet, moon,
and region (good for first-pass reading).
● NASA JPL Education lessons like “Solar System Scroll” and “Solar System Bead
Activity” for understanding distances, scale, and inner vs outer planets.
Past tests, practice, and note examples
● UT Institute for Geophysics Solar System tournament resources: practice tests
and slides focusing on habitability, water, and major moons/asteroids.
● SciOly Test Exchange: many past Solar System tests from invitationals, regionals,
states (search for Solar System).
● Sample “Solar System cheat sheets” (e.g., 2021 cheat sheet PDF) to see how
people pack information into a single page.
How to use these together
● Use the SciOly Solar System wiki as your topic list, then for each topic read NASA
Space Place or JPL pages and take notes.
● Use UTIG/SOINC Revised Guide PDFs to see what kinds of questions and images
show up on real tests, then mirror those styles when you practice.
● Regularly do past tests from UTIG and the Test Exchange, then update your
notes with anything that appears often.
Official Science Olympiad links
● Solar System event page (Div B, 2026):
● [Link]
● 2026 Division B events list (to confirm Solar System details):
● [Link]
● Main Science Olympiad site (for rules, membership, store tests):
● [Link]
● Solar System event guide (annotated sample test PDF – may be an older year but
still very helpful):
● [Link]
_GUIDE_B15.pdf
SciOly community wiki
● SciOly Solar System wiki page (main outline + tips):
● [Link]
Extra practice / background
● UT Institute for Geophysics Solar System guide (older but very good explanations
+ example questions):
● [Link]
● NASA Space Place Solar System (kid‑friendly background on planets, moons,
etc.):
● [Link]